Fashion journalism and Internet - Essay Example

? Fashion journalism and Internet al affiliation Fashion journalism and Internet 0. Introduction Various analysts argue that fashion journalism has recorded numerous changes over the years. The manner in which fashion journalism has been covered with the media has revolutionized in various angles. With the advent of various forms of media, fashion journalism has benefited in the way in which it is being represented on the media (Albertazzi and Cobley 2010 pp.45). It is not clear when this great disparity in the presentation of media began, but it is evident that there has been a great change in the presentation of fashion journalism by the media (Hall-Duncan 1979 pp.23). Among the contrivances that led to the development of fashion journalism before the introduction of internet include use of print media like magazines, televisions that aroused the curiosity of many people towards journalism. Breward (2003 pp.18) indicates that with the invention of internet, the mass had already devised an idea about fashion and its benefits. It is as a result of internet that people who had already invested or rather had an interest in the field of fashion journalism ended up presenting their ideas in a better and easier way. These personalities not only ventured in their localities but in a global context. The advent of the internet, however, seemed unwelcome by many individuals, not aware of the fact that it was bound to benefit various aspects of the economy, fashion journalism being one of them. Peers (2004 pp.18) indicates that internet has influenced the way in which fashion journalism is being covered in this contemporary world. He continues to argue that internet has had massive impacts on the society and globe at large. Fashion has entirely become an internet issue; attracting a huge number of people into accessing internet in order to have the up to date information of the new trends in fashion. In fact, studies indicate that, as the days progress the number of people accessing the internet in on the verge of escalating. Majority of the lovers of fashion have become addicted to internet sites that highlight on the issues related to fashion. Cantoni and Tardini (2010 pp.44) indicate that, in every twenty lovers of fashion, sixteen of them use internet as a source of information on updates in the fashion world. Deuze (2007 pp.19) on the other hand indicates that the numbers of people who purchase fashion magazines as a source of information related to culture have resulted into a shift in the use of internet as a source of information. Magazines and articles related to fashion have recorded a tremendous decrease in sales per annum, due to the fact that a majority of the people prefers the use of the internet. Majority of the households in the UK have access to the internet and find it cheaper to use the internet to update themselves on fashion unlike the print media, which majority of the people toady refer to it as stressful ‘paper work’. Freedman (2006 pp.61) traces the advent of the internet on the promotion of fashion journalism in the early twentieth century. Majority of the journalists had an easier time covering stories on fashion with the use of the internet unlike in the era of ‘darkness’ (Fuery 2009 pp.56). This essay will endeavor to highlight and critically analyze the impacts of the advent and use of the internet in fashion journalism according to the views of various analysts that have contributed to this topic. The essay will also attempt to highlight specific examples of the use of the internet in various circumstances to improve on fashion journalism. 1.1. Body 1.1.1. Access to material The internet has influenced fashion journalism in various ways. Thanks to the internet, many journalists in the field of journalism are in a good position to view as many images as they can form the internet. This is unlike before when the journalists only relied on information that was presented by specific print media. In short, the journalists were not presented with a wide scope of content coverage. At times, Lister et al. (2009 pp.237) indicates that it would be extremely difficult for journalists to come up with comprehensive reports on certain aspects of fashion. It was worse when the journalists were in a dire need to compare and contrast information from various sources to no avail. Prior to the internet, it is justified to argue that the content presented was not good enough to satisfy the needs of the common people. This is attributed to the fact that the journalists only operated on specific lines of information acquisition. Comparing with today’s era, the internet provides the journalists’ with a wide scope of operation. From the internet, the journalists are in a position to acquire as much information as possible. The journalists are then given an opportunity to compare and contrast the information in order to get the best pieces for the end users. The quality of the works presented by fashion journalists today, are comprehensive, classy and up to date. The pieces in the market today present the exact features and characteristics of modern fashion. Gough-Yates (2010 pp.13) argues that purchase of material in the form of magazines complied by modern journalists is good enough to have a clear picture of the fashion trends. Majority of today’s fashion journalists attest to the fact that the internet has had tremendous benefits on their job. Journalists indicate that their work has been made easier as a result of access to materials in an easier way, credit to the internet. 1.1.2. Instant novel material In relation to fashion journalism that deals with live presentations on the runway, the internet has proven of great assistance. Tomlinson (2007 pp.71) indicates that just by the click of a button, one is able to watch live runway shows unlike before when journalists had to wait for second hand information or rely on the information collected on their cameras that did not incorporate all aspects that would result into the creation of comprehensive reports on events. Journalists are in a better position to access information on designers and their new moves from the internet. Earlier on, photographs, supposedly, provided adequate information on the fashion world. Today’s world of fashion is characterized by comprehensive information on new trends in fashion, not only in a pictorial way but includes verbal aspect of the information. This provides readers with the ability to have a one on one occurrence of events in the fashion world. In this way, the internet attracts many designers into updating information on their products online so as consumers are up to date with the occurrences in the world of fashion. Journalists covering many stories in the world of fashion are seen in an attempt to refurbish various elements of fashion ranging form ornaments to clothes in order to attract many readers to their articles (Jenkins 2006 pp.43). The internet has provided an exemplary mode of acquisition of information and scheduling of future information that escape the temporary platitudes. Editors of newspapers and magazines are in a better position to compile material that is all-inclusive and surpasses the earlier compilations that were full of niches that required completion from other sources. With the beginning of fashion on the internet, there has been great improvement on the quality of material produced by the journalists. Fashion is being displayed in several ways that are far much better than the earlier versions of print reports on fashion. The satellites are able to feed the world with a lot of information, Bruns (2005 pp.33) argues that is too much to compare and contrast all of them in order to acquire the best out of them all. Fashion journalists in the contemporary world, therefore, are able to acquire as much information as possible from the internet. 1.1.3. Practical journalism Fashion journalism has experienced massive changes thanks to the internet. There has been an increase in the involvement of the audience in fashion journalism. According to Manovich (2001pp.57) indicates that with the internet, fashion journalism has improved and the rate at which the audience has had been involved in the field is increasing. Most the readers and audience are extremely hopeful and expectant of fashion journalism. He indicates that many readers are hopeful of quality presentation of quality material with the introduction of internet in the field of fashion journalism. 1.1.4. An increase in amateurs The internet has had an impact on fashion journalism through the creation of blogs. Bruns and Jacobs (2007 pp.17) and Lovink (2008 pp.44) argue that if one needs to read and acquire information on a specific topic or theme, it is possible without the use of the electronic sources like the radio or television; or forms of print media. Rettberg (2008 pp.12) indicates that blogs on fashion journalism are on the increase and that readers are on the verge of creating contributions on fashion journalism. He gives examples of fashion houses holding shows; with the events being posted on the internet on an immediate instance. Blogs are then created that express the view of many readers and persons interested on fashion journalism (Keen 2008 pp.21). The prevalence of affordable camcorders and internet enabled mobile phones has led to the creation of more blogs over the internet that relate to fashion. Publishers of the fashion journalism consequently have resulted into production of better reports from comprehensive research. Barthes (1990 pp.63) argues that journalists have the ability to produce much more if given the opportunity. Fashion journalists have realized that from the blogs that competition for god reports is not only from the other fashion journalists but the readers themselves. In light to this argument therefore, fashion journalism has impacted greatly on a positive angle. Journalists are on the run to produce the best reports if they have to sell and claim a place in the fashion industry. As a result of the use of the internet, blogs have assisted greatly in the contribution of improved reports through critics and contributions by the readers (Blood 2002 pp.89). Once a new story breaks out fashion journalists are seen to attempt an assessment and production of the best report out of the report. Majority of journalists in the ‘blog era’ according to Negus (2006 pp.125) cannot be compared to any extent to those that existed before the invention of the use of the internet in the dark ages. Fashion journalism enjoys the epoch of instant information, feedback and comparisons of the best information. In this case, the readers have the benefit of access to content spawned by users who are the readers. 1.1.5. Revolution of the fashion journalists’ roles In the previous before the invention of the internet, fashion journalism was sunk in the dark. White (1970 pp.39) highlights on the issues of misrepresentation of women’s fashion in the previous times, before the introduction of the internet. However, Thompson (1995 pp.87) indicates that in as much there was no sure source of material collection unlike today; journalists tried their best to ensure that information spread to as many corners of the world as possible. In fact, at times information would not access certain areas, an interpretation of the failures fashion journalism encountered. At that time, the journalists were not really interested who reads a certain source of information and is not lucky to access the same material. A closer check on the changes that have taken place in the field of fashion journalism today, there is a major discrepancy in the field of fashion journalism. According to Castells (2001pp.60), the advent of the use of the internet has led to a revolution in fashion journalism. He poses a question why online fashion journalism has been an issue in the contemporary world, yet in the previous times the journalists had no whatsoever interest whether readers accessed materials or not. Today’s online fashion journalism incorporates distribution of contents collected from various sources as part of journalists’ job description. The major question is why the journalists are extremely keen in their jobs, unlike the previous times. Burton (2005 pp.57) indicates that online distribution of materials by the journalists is becoming an unconscious activity that they have to undertake. The journalists who are complacent with what they have been doing are slowly being outdone in the industry. It is a result of the internet that journalists are advancing their skills in the fashion industry in order to retain the shares of the industry that they wish to retain. In this era of internet use- use of Facebook, Gauntlett (2002pp.11) indicates that, readers are able to respond to a myriad of comments on blogs presented by journalists online. Journalists’ activities online is the blueprint of their operations, and the likelihood of their survival. All organizations that relate to fashion journalism have slowly embraced the fact that online presentation of facts and ideas is the way to go. In the mean time, newspaper agencies that deal with fashion journalism are upgrading their systems by posting applications on the internet web pages so as that they may be in line with the happenings in the ‘internet and new world’. With this mind, it is evident that the internet has changed the manner in which fashion journalism operates in the contemporary world. 1.1.6. Instant material Today’s fashion journalism benefits from access of material instantly as well as improvement in the language used to converse fashion related issues (Hall 2008 pp.43). All kind of information is accessible from the internet, be it feminine fashions- dressing styles, jewellery among others. Ferguson (1983 pp.37) argues that the fashion industry at that time did not exhaust all the possibilities of available fashion for women. However, he indicates that women were well represented unlike the males. In his work of ‘Forever Feminine’, he indicates that there is much more that needs to be incorporated in fashion journalism to create the perfect fashionable woman. On the other hand, Benwell (2003 pp.54) indicate that lifestyles magazines that relate to men’s fashion need a lot of improvements if they have to catch up with the fashion of the contemporary woman. In this era, the representation of both genders is being done in a splendid manner. The characteristics of modern fashion journalism are represented by a connection of all varieties of information which journalists post as soon as the news unfold. Barthes (2006 pp.18) indicates that journalists are greatly challenged and motivated by this new move of ‘clicks’; in that they are presented with an opportunity to link information collected from one source to another. In short, fashion journalism has created a new interconnection of material on the internet that links previous information on the same issues that are taking place in the contemporary world. Hitches can easily be spotted by journalists in the internet era and edited on an immediate effect. Fashion journalism in this context has improved from a print or excessive paper work to storage of information that can be accessed at any time of the day or night. This has led to a great improvement of information collection and analysis, thanks to the internet (Sayner 2010 pp.90). 1.1.7. Simple subscription In relation to the theme of fashion journalism and the implications by the internet, Entwistle and Rocamora (2006 pp.89) indicate that simple syndication is one of the major impacts of the internet on fashion journalism. Simple syndication technology works on the basis that journalists are in a position to access information by simply subscribing to a reader that is connected to another syndication reader. In this case, fashion journalists do not have to keep wondering whether the websites they are subscribing to are the originals or whether they have adequate information required to feed their readers with the best information regarding fashion. Readers are given an opportunity to subscribe to specific sites they may require with minimal hassles. Journalists who are ambitious and keen to enhance their career may embrace this new technology in fashion journalism. Readers are in a position to access their best journalists and fashion sites through the internet, and search the results. In deed, fashion journalism has had massive changes from advertisements according to Williamson (1991 pp.12) that make it easier and more fun than in the previous years. In terms of production through simple syndication, fashion journalists are in a position to collect information from different sources and compress it to single information that is easily accessed. Morley (2006 pp.21) compares this technology to the one of Google compressing information that worked exemplarily. He foretells of the possibility of fashion journalism being the new profession that a majority of the people will long to be associated amidst. 1.1.8. Creation of databases Fashion journalism has greatly benefited from the internet through the creation of databases store information in an organized and safe manner. Many fashion houses create databases that allow the journalists access information upon request unlike the previous years whereby the journalists had to deal with a lot of paper work to handle information as well as present information to the audience. In the UK for instance, Fenton (2010 pp.77) indicates that a majority of the fashion houses are pulling out statistics and information from its databases; a factor that has resulted into such companies being steps ahead of companies that still rely on old fashion to survive in the fashion industry. 1.2. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is justified to argue that the internet has had massive impacts on the fashion journalism. The camcorders, wifis and; laptops have proven to be much stronger and powerful than the pen and paper. Journalists are on the run to familiarize themselves with novel technologies for fear of being washed way from the industry. Gilbert (2007 pp.52) utters that it expected that many more changes are likely to take place in the field of fashion journalism thanks to the internet accessibility and use. What is expected in the future; in the field of fashion journalism with the use of the internet is not certain. What is certain however, is the fact that the internet is bound to bring more shockers to the populace (Turkle 1995 pp.23). 1.3. Bibliography Albertazzi, D, and Cobley, P, 2010, (eds) The Media: An Introduction, Harlow: Pearson, Intro,: Part 1, On Bb as a pdf document., Aspers, P, 2001, Markets in Fashion, Stockholm: City University Press. Barthes, R, 1990, The Fashion System, Berkeley: University of California Press.  Barthes, R, 2006, The Language of Fashion, Oxford: Berg. 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